Disappearing gun-carriage



(No Model.)

S. H. EMMENS. I DISAPPEARING GUN CARRIAGE.

Patented Nov 26, 1889.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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N0. 415,708. Patented NOV. 26, 18 89.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICEQ STEPHEN H. EMMENS, OF HARRISON, NE\V YORK.

DISAPPEARING GUN-CARRI AG E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,708, dated November 26, 1889.

Application filed February 25, 1889. Serial No. 301,067. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN HENRY EM MENS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of London, in England, temporarily residing at Harrison,

-in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Disappearing Gun-Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of that class of operating apparatus or carriages for heavy ordnance known as disappearing gun-carriages-that is to say, op erating apparatus or gun-carriages which remove the guns from exposure to hostile fire after discharge.

The present invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts, embodied in an automatic operating apparatus of the above description, hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The objects of this invention are, first, to make the gun disappear and to expose it when it is again ready forfiring without disturbing the horizontal position of the gun and its mount, so as to facilitate loading and elevating or depressing the gun, and at the same time to utilize the recoil of the gun for effecting the disappearing movement; secondly, to provide for readily turning the gun within a con tracted circular emplacement, and so as to facilitate giving the gun the requisite bearing in either position thereof, and especially while it is lowered, and, thirdly, to adapt the remainder of the apparatus to coact with a gun and its mount suitable for use independently thereof, so as to facilitate erecting and restoring batteries.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a side elevation of a diappearing gun-carriage constructed according to this invention and a vertical axial section through its emplacement and turn-table, with the gun in its exposed position, or ready for firing. Fig. 1 represents a like view with the gun lowered, or in its leading position. Fig. 2 represents a top view or plan with the gun in firing position, and Fig. 2 represents a half-plan with the vertically-movable parts and ropes removed to expose parts below them.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This diappearing gun-carnage preferably comprises a carriage proper or mount M,hav-

.ing trunnion-bearings X in which the gun G is supported, and provided with the customary supporting-rollers R, parallel with the trunnions. The gun and mount represented are a Rodman gun and a hooded mount, such as is set forth in another specification forming part of acompanion ease, Serial No. 300,931, filed January 23,1889. Any other suitable type .of gun or mount may be employed, but preferably such as are provided with suitable loading and elevating and depressing devices, and are otherwise suitable for independent use, as aforesaid.

The gun-mount works back and forth on a horizontal main platform P, provided with front and rear stops S S and with side guides G The latter are conveniently formed of angle-irons projecting upward sufficiently to coact with theouter ends of the rollers R, and bolted or riveted down to the pair of longitudinal girders, which, together with crossgirders rigidly uniting said longitudinal girders at the respective ends, preferably make up said main platform. Apair of. transverse bearers B, underlying said cross-girders and united therewith, project laterally beyond the platform and have at their ends downwardly-projecting rigid tongues terminating in lat erally-proj ecting pivots P Said tongues of the bearers B work in vertical slots S which are formed in the inner detached wall of each of four massive main frames or corner-towers O and limit the downward movement of the gun and mount, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Their upward movement may be limited by stop-lugs S formed on said inner walls of the corner-towers, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 1, and engaging with the tops of the bearers B, as shown in Fig. 1.

The gun and mount may be kept in their lowered position as long as may be necessary by means of suitable detents D applied to any appropriate part of the appa at-us. Automatic detents are shown in the drawings in the form of gravitating hooks pivoted on the rear stops S as best seen in Fig. 1, and engaging with the laterally-protruding ends of a yoke-beam Y at the rear and in the plane of the base of the mount M when the latter is brought against said rear stops by the recoil of the gun, as shown in Fig. 1". Sockets in the hubs of the detents admithand-bars H, Fig. 1, for tilting them to release the mount.

At the top of each corner-tower G a large roller or sheave S is mounted in suitable bearings formed in the upper extremities of its inner and outer walls, between which the sheave turns freely. The suitably-proportion ed ends of a pair of heavy counter-weights W also work in the vertical spaces between the inner and outer walls of the corner-towers, and are connected by four flat wire ropes R, passing over said sheaves S to shackle-rin gs Q, mounted on the pivots P and working in the same vertical spaces. Through the bearers B, main platform P, and mount- M the gun G is thus connected with the counter.- weights so as to be elevated by the latter. The main platform P is in turn connected with the gun by a pair of flat wire ropes r, passing from a clamp 0, attached to the platform over sheaves s s 8 to said yoke-beam Y, attached to the mount M, the ends of said yoke-beam forming clamps in which the upper ends of the ropes r are securely held, as by thro ugh-bolts. Said sh eaves s are mounted vertically beneath said clamp c on axle-pins in recesses formed in the annular top of a tubular hub or pivot P, which is central with reference to said corner-towers and serves to tie them together, while the two at each end of the main platform may be securely fastened together, and the two at each side are conveniently braced by flat girders G of any required capacity of resistance" to tensile and crushing strains.

The pivot P has circumferential shoulders, upon the upper of which the corner-towersO are supported vertically where they adjoin the same. They are mainly supported vertically by rollers R (one or more to each tower,) resting upon the rim R of a wheel-shaped turn-table, the hub 11 of which is fitted to and coacts with the lower end and lower shoulder of the pivot P. The entire superstructure above described is thus adapted to turn around a central vertical axis. For so turning it a worm-rack V concentric with said rim R and hub II, is mounted upon the spokes X of the turn-table and meshed by a worm TV, the shaft of' which is mounted in suitable bearings carried by one of the corner-towers C, and driven through suitable gearing G2 by a hand-crank H or the like.

The entire apparatus is adapted to be and is preferably erected within an emplacement E in the form of a circular concrete-lin ed and iron-rim med pit, sunk in the ground and communicating by a tunnelT with the magazines and quarters of the garrison.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: \Vhen the gun is discharged, the recoil acts, through the yoke-beam Y, ropes r, and

clamp c. to cause a downward pull on the main platform P, which consequently descends, carrying with it the gun and mount without disturbing their horizontal position. This movement of the main platform, acting through its bearers B, pivots P, shackle-rings Q, and ropes R,-elevates the counter-weights \V. All three movements occur simultaneously, and at their end the mount M is arrested by the rear stops S and the detents D engage with the ends of the yoke-beam Y, so as to keep the gun lowered as long as maybe necessary. The parts are shown in this condition of the apparatus in Fig.1. A gangway is now advanced from the tunnel T, and the artillerymen cross to the main platform P or the platform of the mount M, where the breech of the gun is opened and the gun is cleaned and reloaded under shelter. The requisite bearing and elevation may also be given to the lowered gun by means of the traversing worm WV and whatever elevating and depressing devices are carried by the gun and mount. Finally, when all is ready for firing, the detents D are simultaneously lifted, the counterpoise-weights descend, the main platform is re-elevated, and the gun is run out thereon, the parts then occupying the positions represented in Fig. 1.

Chains or other flexible connections may take the place of the fiat wire ropes, sheaves suitable thereto being employed; the location and character of the gearing through which the traversing worm is operated may be changed, and other like modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

Details which have not been specified may be of any approved description.

I do not claim herein the said hooded mount M; but the same is claimed in the specification forming part of the aforesaid companion case, Serial N 0. 300,931.

Having thus described the said disappearing gun-carriage, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification 1. In a disappearing gun-carriage, the combination of a backward and forward movable mount, a vertically-movable platform, vertically-movable counter-weights, vertically-unyielding part-s, sheaves on the latter and at or near the front of said platform, and flexible connections passing around said sheaves from the mount to the bottom of the platform and from the platform to the counter weights, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

2. The combination,with the superstructure of a disappearing gun-carriage pror ided at bottom with supporting-rollers and having a central hub or pivot, of a turn-table in the form of a wheel having its hub fitted to said pivotand its rim forming a track for said rollers, an annular stationary worm-rack concentric with said pivot, and a traversing IIC .worm with suitable actuating mechanism on the latter and at or near the front of said carried by the superstructure, substantially as hereinbefo're specified. i

3. The combination, with a heavy gun and a roller-supported mount therefor suitable for general use, the latter provided with a transverse yoke-beam, of a vertically-movable platform having at its top front and rear stops and side guides and at bottom a cenplatform, flexible connections passing around said sheaves from said yoke-beam to said clamp, and from the platform to the counterweights, and mechanism for turning the whole around a central vertical axis, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

STEPHEN H. EMMENS.

Vitnesses:

HUGH HENRY, I SAML. B. HAMBURG.

tral clamp, vertically movable counterweights, vertically-unyielding parts, sheaves 

